


Day 6 - Alternate Universe

by crumplelush



Series: TommyKate week 2015 [6]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Charity Auctions, F/M, Human Charity Auction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 02:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4042036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crumplelush/pseuds/crumplelush
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the TommyKate week over on tumblr. AU is college.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 6 - Alternate Universe

**Author's Note:**

> Tommy grew up with Billy. I imagine them as being adopted and the Kaplan's finding and adopting Tommy at the age of eight.

Tommy was bored. For once in his life he actually had nothing that he should be getting on with. His assignments were all up to date, exams were months away, he’d done the reading for all of next weeks class. Plus he’d caught up with all of the TV shows he was watching this season. Essentially there was nothing left that he needed to do.

“I’m bored” he whined to his brother. Billy was sat at his computer desk playing solitaire. He was in much the same situation as Tommy.

Billy swiveled his chair around. “We could always go out?” he suggested. “There’s nothing interesting worth staying in for.”

“Yes, out!” Tommy said already reaching for his coat and trainers. The speed with which Billy does the same shows how bored he’s been as well. He was just less vocal than Tommy about it.

They made their way out of the dorm room they shared, and across campus. Tommy’s making obnoxious suggestions of things they could do that night, and Billy is shooting them down. Not that Tommy actually wants to visit a strip club at any point in his life, it’s just funny to see Billy’s face when he brings it up.

They’re halfway across the quad when Tommy sees a poster on a tree. It proclaims that the student’s union is having a charity event that very evening. He pointed it out to Billy who just shrugs his agreement. 

The event seemed to be quite popular. Not so much that it was overcrowded, but enough that finding a table to themselves might be an issue. But it beat sitting in a dorm watching Community reruns. 

Billy volunteered to buy the drinks, so Tommy goes off in search of seating. He walked through the crowd and passed a group of guys just as they stood up from their table so he slips into one of the seats as they walk away. It’s in the middle of the room and has a good view of the stage, which has a podium on it and the stage lights are on so obviously something interesting is going to be happening.

Billy arrived with the drinks, congratulated Tommy on managing to find seats for them that had a table attached and was in a good location.

“What can I say? I’m just awesome like that” Tommy quipped and Billy rolled his eyes at him. Before he can respond however there’s a commotion in the room as someone stepped on stage. Tommy’s heart gives a little leap when he sees who it is. The girl is from Tommy’s sociology class and he’s had a crush on her since term began. She’s wearing a purple strapless dress with the highest heels Tommy has ever seen and she strode across the stage like she owned it. 

“Hello everyone” she says into the mic. “My name is Kate Bishop and welcome to our little charity event.” Everyone cheered.

“To kick us off this evening we’re starting with a special event that wasn’t advertised. We are doing – drumroll please – a charity auction live!” She looked so excited by the prospect that Tommy laughed. “So please give it up for our first guest of the evening – Mr Elijah Bradley!”

The crowd cheered louder as the man in question stepped up onto the stage. Tommy vaguely knew him. Eli, he was known around campus as. Mainly known for being the assistant librarian who was unforgiving when it came to overdue library books, but sweet as a kitten to his elders. Tommy had once managed to get out of a fine by telling Eli that he’d had to take his grandma to the hospital. Which wasn’t a lie, per se. He just hadn’t mentioned that it was a routine check up that only took 30 minutes. 

The bidding started low, everyone being a poor student and all. In the end a group of sorority girls win him, by pooling their cash together and getting him for $60. Eli jumped off the stage and headed to the girls with a smirk on his face to rival Tommy’s on a good day.

“Well done ladies”, Kate said from the stage. “You have him for 24 hours and you can do whatever you want with him – within reason of course – so enjoy! And now let’s bring out our next victim. I mean volunteer!” The crowd laughed and Kate smiled. Tommy tried not to notice her dimples. “Give a big hello to Mr Teddy Altman!”

Out of the corner of his eye Tommy noticed as Billy’s head shot up. When Teddy appears on stage Tommy can see why. He’s blonde and smiling shyly, he gives a nervous little wave to the crowd and Tommy can practically see the way the girls in the crowd swoon. He certainly doesn’t miss the way his brother does. Teddy is the dictionary definition of the word hunk. He looks like all those swimwear models that appeared in the magazines hidden underneath Billy’s mattress when he was 12. Until he got better at hiding them from Tommy that is. 

“Something you want to tell me little bro?” he said and Billy turned to face him. 

“What?” he said, confused.

Tommy just nodded towards the stage where Kate was giving a quick bio on Teddy to encourage people to bid on him. 

“No, nothing! He’s in my bio class is all” Billy said, and even if he hadn’t rushed the words out in a panic Tommy still wouldn’t believe him. 

“Uh huh. So you don’t want to marry him and adopt a million babies together?”

“Shut up you ass! God, why do I put up with you?”

“Must be my sparkling wit.”

Billy just rolled his eyes and turned back to face the stage, a mask of indifference settled on his face that didn’t fool Tommy for one second. 

The bidding war started and the sorority girls in the corner call out for $10, making Teddy glance their way with a panicked look on his face. No one else seemed to be bidding against them though. And that’s when Tommy get’s his brilliant idea. 

“$20!” he called out and ignored Billy’s shout. The girls bid again, but Tommy bids $50 so they drop out. Obviously they’ve used the majority of their funds on Eli. Kate smiled as she announced Tommy the winner and Teddy made his way over to their table. 

“Quick, give me your wallet” Tommy hissed to his brother.

“What? No!”

“I don’t have enough to pay on my own, you need to give me $20.”

“Pay for your winnings yourself” Billy replied, in an obvious sulk.

“Jeez little bro. I got him for you. Hardly my type is he?”

“I don’t need your help!” 

“Oh yes, because without me around you have boys chasing after you all day long” Tommy replied. 

While Billy glared he took the opportunity to grab his wallet and raid it for the necessary funds. And just in time too. Teddy reached their table just as Tommy managed to get the money together.

“Hi” he said to Tommy, and then gave Billy a shy smile. Guy looked like an Adonis and acted like a bashful overgrown puppy. No wonder Billy liked him.

“Hey” Tommy replied. “I was bidding on behalf of my brother Billy here. He’s just shy so I was doing the shouting. I’ll go pay now and get out of your way.” He left before Billy managed to actually acquire the talent to burn holes in the back of his head. 

Kate was no longer on the stage and as he approached the desk at the front where he assumed he was to pay he caught a glimpse of her over to the side. He’s halfway through the payment process when he hears someone clearing their throat to one side. He turned and it’s her. She’s there.

“I saw what you just did” she said.

“Oh yeah, and what was that?” he asked.

“I’m in bio with your brother. He’s not exactly subtle.”

Tommy laughed. “Don’t tell him that. He made a big song and dance about coming out to our parents when he was fifteen, they didn’t have the heart to tell him that they’d known for years.”

Kate laughed. “Do you want to get out of here?” she asked.

“Don’t you have to do this event thing?”

“There’s four of us that organised it. I did the auction, so I think the others can deal with the rest.”

Tommy smiled and motioned for her to lead the way.

They slipped out the back door, the cool night breeze feeling amazing on Tommy’s skin. Kate is still wearing just a sleeveless dress and incredibly impractical heels though. “Do you want my jacket?” he asks, gesturing to his hoodie.

“Actually yes, that would be lovely, thanks” she responds and he helped her slip it on. It’s the most gentlemanly that Tommy has ever been, and he thinks its her that makes him want to be this way. He liked it.

They walked for a bit through the deserted campus. He offered her a piggy back, thinking her shoes must be awkward to walk in on the weirdly paved sidewalks, but she declined.

Their conversation very soon swerves from the subject of Billy and Teddy onto other, more important, subjects. They compare families and future ambitions. When Tommy explains that he’s only here for his parents and he doesn’t have any future career in mind she doesn’t laugh. She nodded as though this was the most sensible thing she’d heard. 

They reach the fountain and Tommy fumbled for his wallet again. He managed to find two pennies lodged in the bottom and gives her one, so they can both make a wish. Tommy closed his eyes and wished for good grades. His eyes are still closed when he feels her hands either side of his face. He keeps them closed as he feels her step into his personal space, her body pressing against his, and then her lips are on his.

He’s terrified to open his eyes. Worried that if he does it will all turn out to be a dream, so he keeps them close as he gently places his hands on her waist and tilts his head into the kiss. His mouth opens and her tongue licks along his lips and over his tongue. He’s stood outside in only a thin shirt but he feels so warm, so warm, and then...

A horn blares out as a cyclists speeds past them. They both jump and seperate, although their hands are still on each other. They looked at each other in surprise and laughed. 

She stepped away from him and took his hand, walking them both back to her dorm. They don’t say anything but they don’t need to. Tommy smiled to himself. He may not get the good grades he wished for, but at least the lucky penny he threw last week had worked out for him. He couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on his face as he pulled Kate closer to him.

**Author's Note:**

> I might do a couple of sequels for this. I shall wait and see. I'm crumplelush over on tumblr if you'd like to give me any ideas.


End file.
